8 Tips For a Successful Phone Interview

Fact: Interviews are stressful. No matter how amped you are for it or how well you’ve memorized your life story, those nerves don’t really go away. Sadly, there’s no good way to avoid interviews unless you plan on being self employed your entire life. If that’s you, feel free to click away! You don’t need this post, you got your life figured out, homie!

However, if you’re like me and looking for an internship or a job, this is the post for you! Many interview processes start out with a phone call. Although this may not seem too important in the grand scheme of things, it could influence whether or not you get a second interview. Thus, you need to make sure to make a good impression over the phone! But how do you do this? Let me shed some light on the topic!

Take note of the time and day of the interview

This is important no matter what company you’re interviewing at, but even more so when you’re interviewing for a job in a different time zone. Make sure that both you and the person you’re interviewing are on the same page on the time it will take place. Nothing is worse than when you get caught off guard because you thought you had another hour left to prepare!

Do your research on the company/position

I’m not saying you need to know the founder of the company’s middle name, but do make sure you know things like the company’s values and any duties you might have to perform if given the job. By knowing this information, you will not only impress your interviewer, but you have a better idea of what the interviewer is looking for. I’m not saying that you should lie about yourself, but knowing the skills they want in a candidate never hurts!

Dress for success

“But Anna, this is a phone interview. Why do I need to dress up if they’re not going to see me?” Good question, my friend. There is a positive correlation between wearing professional attire and sounding more competent. When you wear business clothes, you are more likely to take the interview more seriously. Clothing definitely affects your mood, no doubt about it!

Have your resume in front of you

Your interviewer will likely refer to something you mentioned on your resume, so it would be wise to have it in front of you. This way you can repeat the points you made on your resume and add more details as needed.

Practice answers to commonly asked questions

Yes, all interviewers will ask the dreaded “tell me about yourself” question. If you’re anything like me, you might have sudden onset amnesia when asked this question. Who am I, actually?

Luckily, even if you don’t have an exact list of all the questions you’ll be asked, there are handy dandy guides on the internet that can help you out!

Be in a quiet area

Nothing is worse than trying to talk over a loud environment. It also communicates to your interviewer that you are unprepared and/or don’t care about the job. The best place to do a phone interview is in a private space, like your bedroom or office. Minimize any noise that you can by closing windows, pausing your music, etc.

Don’t eat/drink/chew gum

Doing this is annoying to any person you may talk on the phone with, so why would you risk annoying a potential employer? With the exception of glass of water in case your throat gets dry from talking about your amazing self, refrain from consuming anything during the interview.

Thank the interviewer

Last, but certainly not least, thank the interviewer for their time and consideration. Also make sure to have their contact information so that you can send them a thank you email after you hang up. Employers love that stuff.

And there you have it! I’m certainly no expert, but I sincerely hope these tips help you in your future endeavors. Good luck with any future interviews you have, my dears!

Do you have any further tips for phone interviews? Let me know in the comments!

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33 Replies to “8 Tips For a Successful Phone Interview”

yes to all these! Phone interviews are actually so much better than Skype ones for me, but that’s cause I have them down to a routine (that largely includes every tip you’ve listed haha). Finding a quiet space and having your res in front of you are definitely the most important for me!

These are great tips and I definitely agree with all of them! Like you said, it’s important to practice how you would answer common questions because your well articulated response could make a difference in getting a second interview.

So much yes to all of this! Something that really helps me is smiling while I’m on the phone. It’s kind of like the dressing professionally point – no one knows you’re doing it, but I’m convinced it makes you sound a little more pleasant.

Yes yes Yes! These are all such GREAT tips! I’ve had SO many phone interviews and I always wear a blazer no matter what. Phone interviews have been so important for me to get my foot in the door!
xx
Ashley